Witch's Brew
by RadioactivePastels
Summary: Losing part of your memory is one thing. Losing part of your memory and waking up with a near-broken arm and a lady with a frog hat next to you is quite another. Death City doesn't just belong to Weapons and Meisters, after all. In some cases, choosing your friends means making all the wrong enemies. (Male OC, no pairings for now, T for possible language later on.)
1. Frogs Make Threats With Mustard Knives

**Frogs Make Threats With Mustard Knives**

 _How did I… get here?_

The sound of water running was the first sound that registered. There was a sink somewhere in the room, which he couldn't see with his eyes closed. The second thought that registered was the realization that his eyes were closed. The logical thing to do was open them.

Bad choice.

As soon as he opened his eyes, pain erupted in his head and he felt like he was going to be sick. His hands went to his head, or at least one did. The other was bound in a cast and secured at his chest.

"Nngh…"

His throat hurt from thirst and his vision was spinning as he tried to sit up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a soft female voice. It was high pitched, but pleasant in its own way. He squinted to focus on her. She wasn't what he imagined.

Her hair was long and silver, though she couldn't be older than twenty-five. Two dots on the sides of her mouth were odd, but nothing out-weirded the orange hat on her head. It looked like a frog, but the eyes had a dead stare to them that gave him chills.

She sat down next to him and lightly pushed him back down. He didn't resist, not that he really could. She placed a cool cloth on his head, which softened the pain for a moment. He breathed out, his muscles relaxing.

"Who are you?" he croaked (no pun intended).

"Eruka. Who are you?" She had a clear note of caution and suspicion under her kind tone, and seemed to have no desire to give her last name.

He had to think for a moment. What was his name again? His memory was more than a little fuzzy. "I'm… I'm not sure. It started with a C…"

Eruka patted his cast gently.

"I wouldn't worry about it," she said. "You were pretty beat up. I have a good sense for people; I don't think it was your fault." She picked up a glass of water from the table and handed it to him. "You should drink before you go back to sleep."

He studied her face for a moment, focusing in and out. There were questions that were just about to form in his mind, but vanished before he could fully think them. Instead, he used his good arm to take the cup and sip the water. It stung at first, but felt better than he could have imagined.

"Thank you," he whispered, his vision starting to fade out. The weight of the cup was removed from his hand and he was back out, fading into sleep.

* * *

His dreams had been odd. They were erratic and made no sense. Scenes that felt familiar, but he couldn't place; faces that he felt he knew, but couldn't put a name to them. There was only one person who stood out: a woman with short auburn hair and kind blue eyes. She had a cream-colored dress and wore a smile that made his heart melt. He didn't know her name either, but she made him feel safe. When he woke up, hers was the only face he could remember.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room for Eruka. He realized how small the room was. He was on a couch propped in the side of the room, which also held a kitchen, a four-person dining table, and a very cluttered bookshelf. The kitchen looked clean, but worn out. The linoleum on the floor was scuffed and peeling in places and the walls were faded from their original color. The bookshelf had books of all different sizes, but also bottles of liquid that shouldn't have been the color they were. Papers were strewn across the top along with several pens and more books. A dusty mirror hung from the wall near the table.

"Eruka?" he called, straining his voice slightly. She seemed to have heard him all the same, as she appeared in the doorway that lacked a door.

"You remembered my name at least," she said, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think… Where am I?" He asked as she pulled a worn-out dining chair over to his bed, sitting on it backwards.

"Death City. I'm surprised that you survived being unconscious. The alleys of this city aren't always safe, especially for someone like you. You're what, seventy pounds?"

He frowned. He couldn't be that light, right? Then again, he didn't feel all that strong at the moment. "Do you know a woman with short reddish-brown hair and blue eyes?"

Eruka raised an eyebrow and perched her chin on her arms, which laid over the back of the chair.

"You're going to have to be more specific. There could be thousands of people with that description," she said. He couldn't think of anything else. He couldn't place her name, or anything but her face and the feeling she gave him. There was something else…

"Corin," he murmured, staring at his hand.

"Sorry, what?" Eruka shifted in her chair.

"Corin. My name is Corin. I remember now." He had no idea why thinking of the woman reminded him of his name, but it sounded right. He could almost hear her voice saying it.

"Corin, huh? Well, I can't think of anyone who I should hate with that name. I don't suppose you're a Meister?"

"A _what?"_ He squinted at her. What the hell was a Meister?

"Never mind. Anyway, I don't suppose you remember anything else?" She tilted her head slightly as Corin tried to remember. The fog was starting to lift and the alley came into memory.

"I was fighting someone. A guy with glasses and dark hair. He hit me pretty hard. I guess I crashed through a wall or something…" He couldn't remember why they were fighting, but he knew he needed to win. Eruka frowned, thinking something over.

"Well, you obviously didn't die from it," she said, standing up. "Now come on. I need to check your arm and you need to eat."

Corin finally stood up with a lot of help from Eruka, shuffling over to the dining table where he propped his cast on the table. The cast was less of a cast and more of several layers of bandaging, which Eruka unraveled. His arm was bruised, but he was able to move his wrist.

"Alright, it isn't broken." She sounded relieved, brushing a hair from her face. "It should be fully healed in a few days. You've been sleeping for around three already. Whoever you fought, he kicked you around pretty hard."

Eruka hummed something as she got up and started pulling bread, ham, and other food items from the refrigerator.

Corin turned as much as he could to watch her, but when she got out of his view, he turned his attention to the mirror next to him. He looked terrible. There were dark circles under his grey-green eyes and his shoulder-length blonde hair desperately needed washing. His skin had a bit of a sickly paleness to it and he did look like he weighed seventy pounds. When was the last time he ate? He was wearing what was probably a nice shirt once, a silver button-down with a collar, but now it was torn and dirty, likely from the same reason that he got his arm in bandages. He sighed under his breath, and took his gaze to the window on the opposite wall, which was covered in opaque black curtains.

"Are you afraid of sunlight or something?" he asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice that he didn't mean to put there.

"What?" Eruka looked up from the bread and over to the window. "Oh, that. It's not the sunlight as much as what lives _in_ the sunlight. Not everyone around here is friendly. I'm a bit of a shut-in, you could say."

Corin forced himself to turn in the chair and ask, "Why? Who's after you?"

She shrugged and went back to putting mustard on bread. "No one in particular, just those here and there. It's better if I don't stay in one place too long, you know? This is a place I like to go to when I get into trouble. That being said, if you ever tell anyone about it, I will personally destroy you."

It was hard to take her seriously while she was holding a butter knife covered in yellow mustard and that insane hat, but Corin held up his good hand all the same.

"I wouldn't do that. I mean, you were the one who made sure I didn't die out there. No reason to bit the hand that feeds you. Literally, I guess," he said, grinning as she put down a sandwich in front of him.

"That was terrible," she muttered, shaking her head as she sat across from him.

"So is this," he said, gagging at a bit of the sandwich. "How old is this ham?"

She waved her hand dismissively and ate her own sandwich. "If you want better food, the kitchen is right behind you. I do math, not cooking."

"Fair enough, but at least try to forgo the food poisoning." He took the ham off and ate the rest of the sandwich, which consisted of mustard, lettuce, and some kind of odd turnip.

He managed to get up and bring his napkin to the trash, his body getting used to moving again. Apparently, his injuries weren't all that bad.

"Hey, Eruka, what do you do?" he asked as he washed his hand. "Like, do you have a job? Or do you just sit around making toxic sandwiches all day?"

He was hit in the head with a towel in response.

"I don't have a job, per say, but I do things around the city," she replied, putting the mustard away.

"The kind of things that make you invest in safehouses and opaque curtains?"

"Yeah, those kinds of things. I'm not a criminal. Well, not really. I'm just… different." She frowned, tugging at her sleeves.

"Different how?" Corin asked, draping the towel next to the sink.

"It's compli-"

Eruka was cut short by a sharp rap at the door. Her head swiveled towards it, panic coming into her eyes for a moment.

"Great," she whispered.

"Who is it?" Corin asked, looking around the doorway to the other room, which seemed to be even more of a mess.

"The closest thing to a demon this side of Hell," she said, gritting her teeth. She grabbed his good wrist and tugged him to the other room, opening a door that led to a very small closet. "Stay here and don't make a sound."

She shut the door on him, cutting off any questions he had. He heard footsteps recede and another sharp knock. The front door clicked open and Eruka's muffled voice came through:

"Hello, Medusa. Sorry to keep you waiting."

* * *

 ** _Hello and thank you for reading! This is my first fanfiction on my new account and the first fanfiction I've written in over a year. I wasn't sure as I started this, but the ideas are developing as I go along. Just as a note: I realize Eruka is a bit OOC. She does have a compassionate side in canon, so I was playing off of that. She will act more like we see her in the show as time goes on. Please let me know (politely!) of any problems, inconsistencies, or just general thoughts of the story so far. I will more than likely continue unless everyone absolutely hates it ^^' I hope you enjoyed my chapter!_**


	2. Getting To Know You

_Eruka was cut short by a sharp rap at the door. Her head swiveled towards it, panic coming into her eyes for a moment._

" _Great," she whispered._

" _Who is it?" Corin asked, looking around the doorway to the other room, which seemed to be even more of a mess._

" _The closest thing to a demon this side of Hell," she said, gritting her teeth. She grabbed his good wrist and tugged him to the other room, opening a door that led to a very small closet. "Stay here and don't make a sound."_

 _She shut the door on him, cutting off any questions he had. He heard footsteps recede and another sharp knock. The front door clicked open and Eruka's muffled voice came through:_

" _Hello, Medusa. Sorry to keep you waiting."_

* * *

 **Getting To Know You**

Medusa entered the small apartment with a look of mild distain. Her eyes swept across the littered house, from the stacks of papers and herbs on a couch to the dusty lamp that looked like it shouldn't work.

"I'd have thought you would keep better surroundings, Eruka. This is just pathetic."

Eruka sniffed, biting her tongue to keep from talking back. There was no point in starting an argument with Medusa. The sooner she was out of the house, the sooner Eruka could breathe again.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, making no movement away from where she stood beside the doorway.

"You can." Medusa's eyes scanned the room, pausing a moment at the wall with the closet. Eruka felt her heart skip. She was not ready to explain to Medusa why someone was hiding in her closet, especially someone who looked like he just got out of a boxing match with a very angry cat. She kept herself as calm as she could, but the slight smile on Medusa's face made her want to cry.

Surprisingly, the encounter didn't last all that long. Medusa continued her scan of the room, before turning to Eruka.

"Now, as for _what_ you can help me with, that is rather simple. I need some more help for our little mission. You'll be running a message to him," Medusa said, shifting her weight. Her stance and expression made the message as clear as always: _this is not a request._

Eruka nodded slowly. She really didn't want to. She wanted to go back to the Witch Order and plead for protection every time Medusa came within thirty feet of her. Yet, there wasn't all that much she could do. She really didn't want to die, so playing lackey to Medusa was better than exploding from the inside. Besides, if she actually did make it through with her plan, there was a better chance Eruka would live as her follower.

"Just let me know when," Eruka said, crossing her arms.

Medusa just smiled again, heading back to the door. "Oh, also, be careful staying in one place too long. Getting company isn't a good idea, you know?"

She let herself out, and Eruka sank to the floor the moment the door closed, her heart pounding. Why did this have to happen to her?

After a moment of taking deep breaths, she stood herself up and straightened her hat. Making her way to the closet, she opened the door and looked down at her guest. It would have been a nightmare if Medusa found him. He would either die or be enlisted in her army, neither of which would be good for Eruka. If she had known that Medusa would pay her a visit, she wouldn't have taken him in. It had been weeks since Medusa had talked to her.

"She's gone. You almost got us both killed," she said, ice in her tone. Corin only blinked at her in confusion. He looked somewhere between a rat that lost a fight and a very confused dog.

"Who was she?" he asked as she helped him up. She led him to the couch, moving a pillow out of the way and nearly knocking a stack of papers to the floor.

"The less you know about her the better. She's not someone you want to be friends with." Eruka picked up a dead plant and set it on the floor, taking a seat next to him.

"She seemed… creepy," Corin said, leaning back and looking at her. Eruka couldn't deny it; Medusa was all kinds of creepy and terrifying. She could be pleasant and sweet one moment, and standing over your dying body the next.

"That's putting it lightly. She's not a good person, that's all I can really say. I still don't know anything about you, so talking about her is signing a death sentence." She closed her eyes, resting her head against the cushions. "Let's change the subject. Did you remember anything else?"

"No… Though, that woman I saw in my dream is becoming clearer. I think I've seen her more than once."

"She might be related to you. I don't suppose you remember your family?" Eruka asked, a slight frown forming on her lips.

Corin shook his head. "Afraid not," he said quietly. "I hope they're nice. And, you know, live around here. If they were in the city, maybe I could find them easier."

Eruka sighed. She had no time to help him, especially since Medusa was making her move now. Still, she wasn't sure how to throw him out on the street. He looked old enough to be going to the DWMA; maybe they would know who he was. Though, if he was a student there, his knowing who she was could only end badly. It was probably better to get him out of there before anything bad happened-

She opened her eyes and saw him shuffling around, stacking papers into tidier piles and moving her dead plants to the floor in hopes of getting more room.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting up.

"That Medusa person said you should clean up. She doesn't have great people skills, but she's not wrong. This place is a mess." The side of his mouth twitched into a slight grin as he organized the books on the ground.

"I barely come here. This is just for research and safety, not living. Also, you have one working hand. What do you hope to accomplish?"

He gave her a deadpan look, holding up a book. "You could, you know, help me. Then we have three hands, math genius. That's more than enough to carry some books."

Eruka stayed still a moment longer, before shaking her head and kneeling down next to him, stacking books and taking them to the other room. "This is pointless, you know," she called.

"It's not like we have much to talk about. You're some kind of criminal and I don't even know my birthday. 'Getting to know you' conversations are kind of out of the question," he called back.

There was a moment of silence, then, "Fair point."

And so the two spent the afternoon removing papers and trash from the bookcase and replacing them with books, finding out what order papers went in ("Why do you need to know types of food that cause frogs indigestion?"), and having at least eight plant funerals. The ones that were still somehow alive were placed outside the doorway via Eruka. They broke out dusters for the tables and mops for the linoleum, getting rid of at least three years' worth of dust. They scrubbed out the bathroom, which nearly made Eruka sick, and managed to remove the mold that had built up in the shower. By the time they were done, the clock on the wall said it was just after six o'clock.

"That was… awful," Eruka declared, flopping onto the couch. "I feel like I _absorbed_ the dirt."

"True, but at least you have a couch to sit on," Corin countered. He sat down, looking worn out. "Where do you sleep, anyway?"

"Usually? The bed- well, sofa- that you've been using. Though for the last couple days I've used this couch."

Corin raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I moved the mounds of garbage to the floor when I slept. I moved them back so I wouldn't trip."

The two sat in silence for a moment, breathing the fresh(er) air. They'd cracked the window, much to Eruka's distain, in order to let the apartment vent and it paid off.

"Why don't you take a shower? I can make dinner," Eruka said. She didn't understand the feeling of wanting to take care of Corin. He was just some kid. Still, there was something to him. He actually did things. He asked questions. He didn't just sit there and let someone run his life. Eruka stood up quickly, knowing the thoughts would do her no good. She accepted who she was. Sure, she was a coward. She knew it. She was also alive, which Corin wouldn't be if not for her.

Corin opened his mouth to say something back, but stopped at seeing her expression. She must have been a bit too open with her thoughts, so she quickly turned away and went to scavenge through the pantry.

She heard footsteps and a door close. The sound of water running came through the paper thin walls; there were no secrets in the apartment.

Except, there were. Too many. Eruka never had a problem keeping her life from people because there was no one to keep it from. She hadn't needed nor wanted friends for years. It was just her way of life. Friends hurt you. Friends stabbed you in the back. Friends hated you for being a witch. Friends and Eruka didn't mix well, so she just removed them. Yet, bantering with Corin and taking care of him while he was unconscious brought out a side of her that she hated. Kindness and compassion had no place in the heart of a witch, especially one that worked with Medusa. Witches were independent, relying only on each other, and even then being careful. Keeping secrets wasn't really relevant when there was no one to keep them from. Yet, she couldn't stand it if Corin turned out to be working with the DWMA and went after her.

She realized that the noodles were nearly boiling over and her temperature was up far too high. She shook her head, focusing back on what she was doing. Corin would leave as soon as she was sure he wouldn't pass out in the nearest ditch. Then, she would get back to living as she had been.

"ERUKA! Where's the soap?" Corin called. "I think I found a family of roaches and I'm really not comfortable showering with them!"

Speaking of which…

"You put the soap by the sink! And I doubt those roaches are very interested in you, there's not a lot to look at."

There was silence for a moment, then the sound of the water turning off. Corin came out in a towel, peaking his head into the kitchen.

"Uh, do you have another towel? This one is… small," he said, awkwardly.

"You're dripping all over the carpet." Eruka moved the noodles off the burner and grabbed a kitchen towel, wringing out his hair in it. "Dead plants are one thing, mildew is another."

She shoved him back to the bathroom before hunting down another towel in the closet he was hiding in earlier. She draped it across his shoulders and helped him towel dry his hair. Being one handed wasn't going well for him and his bandages were now wet.

"How was it that you cleaned my house and yet can barely take a shower?" she asked, a note of quiet exasperation to her voice.

"You weren't helping me take a shower." The two were completely silent for a second. "I didn't say that."

"Mmhmm. That's a kind of creepy that even Medusa doesn't go to."

"I didn't mean-"

Eruka cut him off with a soft laugh. "I know. If I had a bath, I could at least help you wash your hair, but showers are a little too close, you know? Hey, you should really trim the dead ends of your hair."

Corin gave a nod and Eruka left to get scissors from the kitchen. He turned around on the toilet, making sure the towel around his waist was still secure. Eruka bent her knees slightly and started to trim his hair.

"Eruka? Why… why are you being so nice to me? It's not like we know each other…" His voice was quiet, and had almost a sadness to it. Eruka didn't like it at all, his tone nor the question.

"It's common decency, isn't it?" she replied, hoping he would drop it.

"Not really. If you knew who I was and we were acquaintances then sure, but I'm just some kid you found on the street. What if… what if I bring you trouble? I don't know who I was fighting or why. I don't know anything about this city or who runs it or even myself. You don't have any reason to trust me. Yet you've let me stay here, fed me, talked with me… I just don't understand how you're a criminal. There's no way everyone in the city is this nice."

Eruka stopped cutting. She was stuck. She'd been called a lot of things, most of which came from people who didn't like her for one reason or another. They had reason to. She'd destroyed land, made people's lives difficult, and just caused general mayhem and destruction. More than that, she'd enjoyed it. So what if someone lost their house? So what if a few criminals got loose? It was just one more event. She was used to being called a coward, a liar, a terrible person. But nice? It wasn't as if she'd never been called that before. Though, it wasn't all that normal now. Now, she was evil. She was cruel. She was destructive. She hadn't been nice in a very long time.

"Look, Corin. I'm not like this normally. You shouldn't get used to this from… people like me." She finished trimming his hair and stood up, folding the towel on his shoulders so that the split ends didn't fall to the floor. "I'm a criminal for a reason. You should probably leave as soon as you can."

Corin turned around, his eyebrows knit together. "Why? Where should I go?"

Eruka sighed, gritting her teeth. "I don't know. Wherever you want. Go to the police, the DWMA, the next house over, I don't care. I can't tell you where to go. You just shouldn't be here."

"Then neither should you. Medusa can't make you do anything. You can turn her in, you can-"

"You don't understand! You don't know a damn thing about me!" Eruka felt her chest tighten, anger building in her head.

"I don't know a damn thing about anyone! You're all I have to go off of, remember? I knew your name before I knew mine. I'm trying to mimic you so that I don't end up as some asshole who likes to hurt people, or some selfish jerk. I know that it's possible to be like that, and I know you're not. So what am I supposed to do, Eruka?" Corin's face was flushed, his knuckles white from gripping the toilet seat.

Eruka breathed out, her gaze averting from his eyes. "Don't do that. Don't mimic me. I'm one of the last people you should mimic. Even by w- criminal standards, I'm pathetic. You need to find someone who can teach you things, someone who can get your memory back. You can stay here until you're healed. Then, you need to go to the DWMA and ask for help. There are some talented people there, people who could help you."

She turned and left, putting the towel by the door. She would shake it out later. Instead, she went back and put the noodles in two bowls, sprinkling them with salt and setting them down.

Corin came in a moment later, in the same dirty clothes. He sat down wordlessly and the two ate without talking. This was normal, Eruka reminded herself. This was better. Getting attached was dangerous for both of them. Medusa or the Witch Order would find out eventually and it would be all downhill from there.

Eventually, she had to take notice of his increasing paleness. Corin wasn't looking too great. She inhaled softly and spoke up: "You look a little sick."

He glanced up from his food. An awkward smile on his face, he put a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah… I guess I kind of overdid it. It's fine, I'll just sleep it off. If that's okay…?" He looked at her with a bit of concern, as if she would just throw him out. There was no point in that. She already promised herself that she would keep him at her house until he was healed.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just be careful, yeah? I'll take care of the dishes." She stood up and took her plate to the sink while he finished. There was something more between them now, not just the blind trust. That was better, to Eruka. She didn't have to worry as much now that he wouldn't want to leave.

"Thank you for dinner," he said, coming over with his own bowl.

"No problem." She didn't look up at him as she ran the water. He paused, as if to say something, but turned around and lied back down on the pullout at the back of the room. She dried the dishes and started to walk out.

"Eruka?" He called suddenly.

She turned slightly, looking at him with her brows furrowed.

"I just… Never mind."

With that, she turned away as he closed his eyes, the house settling into a tense silence.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright! Chapter 2! I have to admit, I was a little befuddled on how to pace this. I don't want to draw it out more than I have to, but I'm worried it came off as a little sudden...? Ah well. These two are a blast to write (I may rewatch Soul Eater again just for Eruka to be honest-) and the interaction between them is something that I find myself able to do without getting bored. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!**_


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